High school athletes in only a handful of sports will compete this fall, the Illinois High School Association Board announced Wednesday.
Boys and girls golf, girls tennis, boys and girls cross country and girls swimming and diving will remain as fall sports, with the season beginning Aug. 10 and continuing through Oct. 24.
Per Gov. JB Pritzker’s announcement Wednesday, fall sports will begin with competition limited to conference opponents and other schools in the same general geographical area. Schools will be provided more details in the coming week about the scheduling limits, and scheduling will continue to be assessed throughout each season.
Athletes will continue to compete in condensed seasons throughout the school year, with winter sports slated for Nov. 16 to Feb. 13, spring sports set for Feb. 15 to May 1 and a new summer season scheduled for May 3 to June 26.
Winter sports are defined as boys and girls basketball, wrestling, boys swimming and diving, boys and girls bowling, and girls gymnastics.
Athletes on the football, boys soccer, girls volleyball, girls badminton, boys gymnastics and boys and girls water polo teams will play during the spring season.
That leaves baseball, softball, boys and girls track, girls soccer, boys volleyball, boys and girls lacrosse and boys tennis to compete in the new summer season.
“This plan, like nearly every aspect of our current lives, remains fluid,” IHSA Executive Director Craig Anderson stated in a press release. “Changes may come, and if they do, we will be agile while putting safety and students first. It was important that we provide a framework today for our student-athletes, coaches, administrators, and officials to begin preparing for the 2020-21 school year.”
The plan has been sent to the Illinois Department of Public Health for final approval.
